Manufacturer handed £21,000 packaging fine
In charges brought by the Environment Agency, Marla Tube Fitting was fined under the Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Regulations and ordered to pay costs of £1,991.48, a compensation order to the Agency for £9,122, and a £15 victim surcharge, equalling a total of £32,128.48. The Environment Agency had sent a letter to the firm asking for details relating to their turnover and the quantity of packaging handled, after which the company admitted that it had not met its recovery and recycling obligations, despite accepting that it should have been registered. The company put forward an early guilty plea and is now fully compliant.
Hannah Wooldridge, an Environment Agency Officer, said: “The company were unaware of the regulations and their implications. Any company with a turnover of over £2 million pounds and handling over 50 tonnes of packaging per annum may be obligated and should seek advice to ensure compliance with the Regulations.”
News presenter unveils Harrow fleet
The Harrow resident, who presents Afternoon Live with Kay Burley, joined collections in one of the borough's new Mercedes-Benz Econics collection vehicle, which is one of the first vehicles from a 31-strong fleet now going into service in Harrow. The fleet, which has 28 Merecedes-Benz Econis and three DAF 45 LAFs, are all painted in Harrow council's corporate purple and will carry large promotional messages updating residents about the London borough's ever rising recycling rate.
Ms Burley said: “The purple trucks look great and are sure to attract residents' attention. With the trucks being eco-friendly and good value for the council, that means more money can be spent on other services that we residents want. I also look forward to reading the notices on the lorries about how well Harrow is doing with its recycling.”
More schools join Basildon recycling scheme
Schools in Basildon in Essex have shown an increased commitment to recycling with 90% now signed up to a council-run recycling scheme.
Following the launch of the service in September, the scheme now offers fortnightly recycling collections of paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and cans, to 62 of the 71 primary and secondary schools in the district. The council, which has issued 1,100 litre bins to schools as part of the service, is now hopeful that the remaining schools within the district will take steps to join the scheme and help increase the council's recycling rate beyond 32%.
Councillor Terri Sargent, cabinet member responsible for the environment at Basildon council, said: “We launched the scheme to help local schools dispose of their waste in an environmentally-friendly way. We hope this gets young people into the habit of recycling and prevents tonnes of rubbish from being dumped in landfill.”
“Best practice” guide for aerosol recycling
The revised guidance, which is available from the BAMA website, includes updates to sections on Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), as well as featuring information on risk assessment and a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.
The BAMA said: “Recovered aerosols make a valuable contribution to metal recycling and over 75% of UK local authorities now include empty post-consumer aerosols in their recycling schemes. This new guide updates nearly 10 years of health & safety experience recycling aerosols and includes a practical assessment by an independent health and safety expert.”
WasteCare welcomes 40 new recruits
Leeds-based recycling company WasteCare Group has recruited 40 new members of staff, bringing the total workforce up to 300, an increase of 18% over the past year.
Despite the economic downturn, the company has taken on the additional employees and is set to spread them across the company, with 17 joining WasteCare itself and 22 joining PackCare, its industrial packaging subsidiary. The recycling firm currently offers recycling services for packaging, WEEE and batteries.
Peter Hunt, chief executive of WasteCare, said: “The increase in our workforce reflects the demand for our services, which has never been greater. As a result, our collection fleet has grown by 10 per cent to 110 vehicles this year and our PackCare workforce has actually doubled in the past six months.”
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